Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Michigan State Spartans: Odds, Picks & Predictions
All three ranked teams in action on Monday won - #1 Baylor, #3 Kansas, and #8 Florida State.
On Tuesday, two of the best in the Big Ten clash when #22 Penn State visits #16 Michigan State.
Here’s a look at today’s NCAA games:
BET OF THE DAY:
#22 Penn State Nittany Lions @ #16 Michigan State Spartans (-8.5), 8:00 PM:
- Michigan State has won 10 of the last 11 games over Penn State.
- The Spartans have won 35 of the last 37 home games. (Stats courtesy of Statschecker).
#16 Michigan State (16-6) snapped a two-game winning streak on the road in Wisconsin when losing to the Badgers 64-63.
Senior Cassius Winston went off, leading the way with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Freshman Rocket Watts was the only other Spartan in double figures, adding 16 points including four made threes.
#22 Penn State Nittany Lions (16-5) picked up a fourth win in a row after taking down Nebraska on the road 76-64.
Senior Mike Watkins came off the bench and had a huge game, posting a double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds. Sophomore Myles Dread also came off the bench and added a team-high 14 points with four made three-pointers.
These teams match up evenly in most of the major statistics and are separated by only a game and a half in the Big Ten standings.
Although I’m anticipating a close game early on, I’m rolling with the Spartans to pull away in the final 10 minutes of the second half and cover the spread (-8.5).
2u - Michigan State Spartans (-8.5) @ -110
Mississippi State Bulldogs @ #15 Kentucky Wildcats (-5.5), 9:00 PM:
- Kentucky has won each of the last 11 games at home.
- The Wildcats have won each of the last 10 meetings with the Bulldogs. (Stats courtesy of Statschecker).
#15 Kentucky (15-5) snapped a five-game winning streak on the road in Auburn, losing to the #17 Tigers 75-66.
Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey were the only two Wildcatters to score in double figures.
Sophomore Quickley scored a team-high 23 points on 6-of-13 shooting and freshman Maxey contributed 22 points with four rebounds.
Mississippi State (14-7) won a second straight game after handling the Tennessee Volunteers 86-73.
The Bulldogs were efficient, shooting over 57 percent from the field as a team.
Sophomore Reggie Perry had a huge game, totaling a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman D.J. Stewart Jr. added 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including four made three-pointers.
Mississippi State has the second-best record ATS in the SEC at (13-7-1), yet I’m banking on the trend of Kentucky dominating this matchup over the last 10 meetings.
Take the Wildcats to cover the spread and get back on track at home.
1u - Kentucky Wildcats (-5.5) @ -110
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ #9 Maryland Terrapins (-7.5), 7:00 PM:
- Rutgers has the best ATS record in the Big Ten at (13-6-2). (Stat courtesy of Statschecker
#9 Maryland (17-4) picked up a fourth consecutive win after taking down the #18 Iowa Hawkeyes 82-72.
Senior Anthony Cowan Jr. went off for a career and game-high 31 points on 9-of-15 shooting with six rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Jalen Smith played huge, adding a double-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
Rutgers (16-6) snapped a two-game winning streak and fell out of the Top-25 after losing to the Michigan Wolverines 69-63.
The Scarlet Knights struggled, shooting 32 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range. Sophomore Montez Mathis led Rutgers with 17 points and eight rebounds and three other Scarlet Knights contributed 10 points each.
Rutgers has been strong against the spread all season and have even managed to be competitive in losses.
Each of the Scarlet Knights' last three defeats have been by six points or less. With the spread sitting at (+7.5), I like Rutgers to give Maryland a run for their money.
1u - Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+7.5) @ -110